When it comes to weird and wacky, Japan is in a league on its own.
From vending machines that sell used underwear to cafes where you can hang out with hedgehogs, it seems like there's no limit to the oddities that come out of this island nation. But have you ever wondered why Japan has so much weird stuff? Well, it all goes back to the economic boom of the 80s.
During this time, Japan was riding high on a wave of prosperity. The economy was booming, and the country was experiencing unprecedented growth. And with all this newfound wealth came a desire to showcase it in interesting and unique ways.
Enter the Furusato Souzei (ふるさと創生事業) project. This was an initiative started by the prime minister at the time, Noburo Takeshita, which gave over 3,000 local governments a million dollars each to use however they saw fit. The idea was to revitalize local communities and showcase their uniqueness in the form of new buildings or events.
Japan's Municipalities Starts Battling It Out for the Title of Wackiest Projects
And so, the towns and cities of Japan went wild with their newfound wealth. Some invested in practical things like public bathrooms or additional funding for their schools and cultural activities, while others got a bit more “creative”.
In Hokkaido, the city of Date decided to build a public bathroom in marble with a self-playing piano, because who doesn't want to listen to music while they do their business?
In Aomori, Nishitsugaru-gun (now Tsugaru-shi) funded the creation of a giant clay figure at Kizukuri Station, whose eyes light up when a train arrives. This massive project went to a station that hosts less than 220 passengers daily…
Meanwhile, Kamikita-gun (currently Oirase Town) in Aomori built a replica of the Statue of Liberty, because apparently, they have the same latitude as New York and just couldn't resist the urge to copy America's most famous statue.
But the madness was just getting started. The city of Yamagata wanted to make Japan's biggest pot, so they could cook their traditional beef dish, Imoni. The pot was so big that they had to use excavators to stir and empty it.
And let’s not forget the mayor’s office in Ota City, Shimane Prefecture, that seemed to hate the concept of a one-hour hourglass.
Instead of investing the $1 million grant in something more practical, they decided to go for a 1-year hourglass, with 640 billion grains of sand which would literarily take a year to go down from its top to its bottom - because who needs a budget when you can measure time in grains of sand…
Tambayama Village too had big dreams and decided to make Japan's longest slide, but three days after the construction of Tabayama slide was finished, another town made an even bigger slide, because apparently, size really does matter.
And let's not forget the goldfish in solid gold created by the town of Nakatosa in Kochi prefecture, which was later stolen and melted down. Was it worth it? Probably not. But at least they can say they had a real gold-fish…
Of course, not all the projects were completely wasteful. The town of Shinto Inaguma decided to be smart and put their money into a savings account, which resulted in an extra 60 million yen from 15 years of interest. But let's be real, the most entertaining projects were the bizarre and wacky ones.
Despite the End of the Economic Boom, Japan's Quirky Legacy Endures
As the Furusato Souzei project wound down when the economic boom of the 80s came to an end, many of the oddities that emerged during this time were left behind as a reminder of a bygone era. Although the project was ridiculed for their waste, some of these quirky creations have stood the test of time and have become iconic symbols of their respective communities.
Today, Japan remains a country that values uniqueness and creativity. From the colorful fashion scene to the quirky vending machines, the spirit of innovation is still very much alive. And while some may see Japan's weirdness as a quirk, it is truly a reflection of the country's desire to stand out and showcase its individuality.
So, the next time you find yourself in Japan and stumble upon something weird or wacky, remember the Furusato Souzei project and the economic boom of the 80s. These moments in Japan's history shaped the country's culture and identity and are a testament to the creativity and ingenuity of its people. Who knows, you might even find yourself inspired to create your own unique and wacky creation. After all, that's what Japan is all about.
More Wacky Creations from the Furusato Souzei:
Here's an organized list of what the different municipalities in Japan used their 100 million Yen Furusato Souzei grant for (source):
Hokkaido:
Date City: Toilet made of marble with an automatic piano sound; Roadside station Forest 276 Otaki
Hakodate City: Installed a monument to squid, its most famous export
Horonobe-cho, Teshio-gun: Built the Kaneda Shozo Calligraphy Museum
Kamikawa-gun Shimokawa Town: Installed a mini Great Wall
Nakagawa-gun Honbetsu: Furusato Galaxy Line Senmisato Station - The station building was renovated
Okushiri Town: Established a monument to Unimaru
Yubari City: Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival held
Honshu
Tohoku region
Aomori:
Hyakugoku-cho, Kamikita-gun (currently Oirase Town): Japan Statue of Liberty was created
Kuroishi City: Produced two kokeshi made of pure gold and pure silver. Later, the two bodies were sold
Sumita Town, Kesen-gun: Established the management organization of the astronomical observation and music event "Suta-uchingu Taneyamagahara", "Mugen Company Tenchijin" Miyagi:
Kurokawa-gun Tomiya Town (currently Tomiya City): Symphony Tower construction
Kurihara-gun Shibahime Town (Current Kurihara City): Construction of a giant water mill called Akita
Akita City: Purchased Akita orchid painting
Hiraka-gun Omori Town (Current Yokote City): Sumo wrestling held
Higashitagawa County Tachikawa Town (Current Shonai Town): The first wind power generation facility installed as a local government Japan
Yamagata City: Japan No. 7 imoni-kai festival produced a large pot "Nabe Taro" Fukushima:
Date County Iino Town (Current Fukushima City): UFO exhibition + public facility equipped with bathing facilities "UFO no Sato" allocated to the construction cost
Koriyama City: A monument "Group of Pioneers" to praise the pioneering of Azumi is installed in Kaiseiyama Park
Iitate Village: Utilization for the "Young Wife's Wings" project. A training program to send young women from villages to Europe
Kanto region
Ibaraki:
Higashi Village (Currently Inashiki City): Higashimura Library (Current Inashiki City Library) built
Ina Town, Tsukuba County (Currently Tsukuba Mirai City): Warp Station Edo is allocated to part of the construction cost
Ishioka City: The largest lion's head in Japan with a height of 14 meters produced as an observatory
Chubu region
Niigata
Joetsu City - The largest crane game machine in Japan is produced.
Uonuma City - Established the Uonuma Sake Museum.
Ishiuchi City - Produced a collection of fireworks called "Kaleidoscope Dream".
Toyama
Toyama City - Produced a monument of the world's largest sandal.
Takaoka City - Produced a bronze statue of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Nakaniikawa County, Nakagawa Town (Current Kurobe City)-Allocated to the construction cost of the "Kurobe River Fureai Bridge”.
Ishikawa
Kaga City - Produced the world's largest wooden bucket.
Nanao City - Produced a monument to the world's largest cuckoo clock.
Kanazawa City - Produced the Kanazawa City Noh Theater.
Fukui
Sakai City - Built a bathing facility called "Sakai Onsen Fureai Center".
Echizen City - Produced a monument of the world's largest ceramic plate.
Wakasa Town, Ono-gun (now Wakasa Town, Mikatakaminaka District) - Established the Wakasa Mikata Jomon Museum.
Yamanashi
Yamanashi City - Built a suspension bridge called "Yamanashi Prefectural Great Suspension Bridge".
Hokuto City - Produced a monument of the world's largest bell.
Fuefuki City - Established the Katsunuma Winery.
Nagano
Iida City - Produced a monument of the world's largest wooden clog.
Suwa City - Produced a monument of the world's largest alarm clock.
Komagane City - Established the Komagane Kogen Art Museum.
Gifu
Mizunami City - Produced a monument of the world's largest ceramic cup.
Tajimi City - Produced a monument of the world's largest pottery teapot.
Gifu City - Produced a monument of the world's largest lacquerware tray.
Tokai region
Shizuoka
Atami City - Established the Atami Yumoto Onsen Museum.
Izunokuni City - Produced a monument of the world's largest eboshi (ancient Japanese hat).
Fujinomiya City - Produced a monument of the world's largest samurai helmet.
Aichi
Okazaki City - Produced a monument of the world's largest tsuzumi drum.
Toyota City - Established the Toyota Municipal Museum of Art.
Nagoya City - Produced a monument of the world's largest origami crane.
Mie
Kumano City - Produced a monument of the world's largest hagoita (decorative battledore).
Iga City - Produced a monument of the world's largest shuriken (throwing star).
Yokkaichi City - Established the Yokkaichi Municipal Museum.
Kinki region
Shiga
Higashiomi City - Produced a monument of the world's largest paper fan.
Omihachiman City - Produced a monument of the world's largest Japanese hand drum.
Otsu City - Produced a monument of the world's largest traditional Japanese umbrella.
Kyoto
Uji City - Produced a monument of the world's largest tea whisk.
Kyotanabe City - Produced a monument of the world's largest incense stick.
Kyoto City - Produced a monument of the world's largest kendama (Japanese toy).
Osaka
Sakai City - Produced a monument of the world's largest kitchen knife.
Tondabayashi City - Produced a monument of the world's largest daruma (Japanese traditional doll).
Osaka City - Produced a monument of the world's largest abacus.
Kyushu region
Fukuoka
Yame City - Funded an anime caled “ancient Kyushu who challenged the Yamato regime"
Kitano Town, Mitsui County (Current Kurume City)-Cosmos Park and highway maintenance.
Ukiha-gunTajimaru Town(CurrentKurume City)-Based on the tradition of Kappa, the station building of Tajimaru Station was renovated into the shape of Kappa[4].
Yame County, Tachibana Town (currently Yame City) --2019/(Heisei31) The use is unknown as of March
Hirokawa Town, Yame District- Funded an aerial walk to put elementary school students on a helicopter[4].
Saga
Sefuri Village, Kanzaki County (Currently Kanzaki City)- As a measure against depopulation, the “200 yen residential land business plan” was conducted, allowing people to buy land for 200-yen, leading to an increase in population of 70 people.
Nagasaki
Nagayo Town, Nishikonoki County - Nakao Castle Park (Yoshinashida Town) Spiral Slider and part of the development fund for related facilities
Kumamoto
Kugino Village, Aso County (now Minami Aso Village) - In 1990, Kugino Onsen Center Kikayu opened. In April 2016, the earthquake struck the onsen which is now permanently closed.
Oita
Nakatsue Village, Hita District (now Hita City) - Pure gold female and male seabream produced. The male was stolen in 2006 (Heisei 18), but the female was sold in 2012 (Heisei 24) at a selling price that exceeded the purchase price of the female and male.
Miyazaki
Takasaki Town, Kitamoro Prefecture (now Miyakonojo City) - Tachibana Observatory was built.
Kaseda City (CurrentMinamisatsuma City)-Fully funded a bridge.
Okinawa
Allocated for tourism business improvement work in Minamidaito Village - Hoshino Cave (limestone cave), Shimajiri District.
Nakijin Village, Kunigami-gun - Repair of an old train type C57 type 87.
Very interesting. Nothing in Kyushu?